By Patricia Mukhim
“At the moment in Meghalaya we have some activists that have decided to throw their hats into the electoral ring. There are those who say that all that activists do is to cast stones and that they will not get too far. Casting stones is easy they say. The reason why politicians are still popular is because they seek to unify people around a set of beliefs while the activist seeks to right a wrong that has been held up by those sets of beliefs.”
At any social gathering, Khasis very glibly talk about their glorious past such as, “Ka Tip Briew Tip Blei ( To know fellow humans in order to know God) and Kamai ia ka Hok which could have been aptly reduced to “kamai hok” (earn righteousness or earn by righteous means) and “Kamai da ka umsyep” (earn by the sweat of your brow). These aphorisms were of great value in a distant past but as we became civilised, these values were jettisoned in favour of a crass culture of the mindless pursuit of wealth by depriving others of their just share. This is what our political system has bred. The stark poverty that only the observant would witness even in Shillong city tells us that we are not getting better as a society. Unfortunately, we have begun to take for granted the poverty we see around us. It does not move us any longer because we dash across in vehicles and hardly have time to walk and feel the pain of many around us who are victims of a predatory system.
It was Confucius who said, “To be wealthy and honoured in an unjust society is a disgrace.” In present day Khasi society, we have turned this into an accepted norm, The well-heeled occupy places of pride at any function. They are respected not because of what they do and how they live their lives but because of how much they are able to donate to the organisation that invites them as the chief guest. That is why people love to invite politicians to their functions. This is true even of religious organisations. Look at the churches today. Have they spoken up and exhorted their followers on what to look for in a candidate before voting for him/her? Or have the respective denominations gone into a huddle to elect one of their own? The whispering campaign has already begun in right earnest especially by those churches that are preparing to have their synods or processions just before the elections if only to get better roads and other material advantages. And at this point all the candidates would pander to the wishes of churches and other religious institutions for one sole purpose – that of winning votes.
Sometimes one wonders if the heart of the churches (pastors, priests, other heavyweights of the Niam Khasi/Niam Tre and the affluent laity) still beats for the poor and destitute. Looking at the lifestyles of those who call themselves church leaders, one doubts their commitment to serving the poor. Religion has become a cosy little club of PLUs (people like us). American writer, David Brooks states that in a democratic, non-theocratic society with a decentralized eco-system of academics, clergy members, teachers, journalists, there can be disagreements about a lot of things but they all agree on a shared system of rules for weighing evidence and knowledge. This eco-system operates as a funnel. It allows a wide volume of ideas to get floated but only a narrow group of ideas survive collective scrutiny. Have we in Meghalaya ever had a joint conclave where the above can sit together and discuss critical issues that need to be addressed or presented to the government for its intervention? No, we have never had such brainstorm sessions because perhaps there is an inherent distrust among us. Brooks further states that every society should have an epistemic regime, a marketplace of ideas where people collectively hammer out what’s real. In Meghalaya we are too daunted to offend those in power because we don’t know when we might need them for personal favours.
At the moment in Meghalaya we have some activists that have decided to throw their hats into the electoral ring. There are those who say that all that activists do is to cast stones and that they will not get too far. Casting stones is easy they say. The reason why politicians are still popular is because they seek to unify people around a set of beliefs while the activist seeks to right a wrong that has been held up by those sets of beliefs. In brief, the politician navigates the system while the activist defies it. The politicians will justify corruption like the person involved in the white ink scam. Recently the NPP stoutly defended her because its sees her winnability despite the scam. In any case corruption has been normalised in Meghalaya. In fact the public seem to easily forgive the corrupt. At this rate Meghalaya’s future is dark as dark can be.
The politician builds a coalition by using meddling philosophy and policies that appeal to the most and offend the fewest. The activist is driven more by purpose, morality and righteousness. That’s perhaps the reason why activists across the world never become politicians. They would have had to compromise too much of themselves and their causes. But when the system demands correction, it would be wrong on our part to pass judgment and say that activists should remain activists. At least they are giving some politicians a run for their money.
One of the worst disasters to have happened to Meghalaya in 50 years is the breaking down of the education system. It is often said that humans are rational beings. But psychologist find that claim rather shallow. We humans are creatures of passion and more often than not are led by that same passion to commit crimes that we later repent of. One of the great projects of schooling therefore is to educate the passions and help the young learn the proper kind of outrage (what to be angry about) at injustice, the proper kind of reverence before sacrifice, the right kind of civic pride and responsibility and affection for fellow humans. This sort of knowledge is conveyed not through facts but through emotional experiences in the form of stories.
Our education system has tried to simplify too many of the complex problems of life so much so we tend to look for simplistic solutions to the most convoluted challenges facing us today. That is because education has focussed too much on reasoning and thinking skills – which are important in their own ways but what about emotions that we are told must be kept bottled up? It is precisely because we have bottled up our emotions or failed to channel them the right way that our ability to tell complex stories about ourselves has all but atrophied. This means the ability to tell stories in a way that opposing characters each possess pieces of the truth; stories embedded in the complexities of real life and not a straitjacket of ideological abstracts.
Education has to be able to open our eyes to the range of knowledge and ideas that help us navigate difficult circumstances without giving up on our journeys. This mental and emotional education is not conveyed enough in the classroom and society and its many institutions too have withdrawn into a shell instead of being the sheet anchor that continues to guide the young on the spiritual philosophies of our ancestors which are basic but touch at the root of humanness. For, if we don’t live by the sweat of our brow it means we are looking at quick-fixes in money making; it means we succumb to instant gratification. That’s why we see so many frenzied young people on a joyride these days, shouting slogans for candidates or accompanying them for filing their nominations at great cost to the rest of the working citizens who have to reach their workplaces on time. Its crystal clear that these slogan shouting youth have no gainful employment; hence they are tempted by the freebies available up to February 27. After that there is a lull, a quiet dismay as they idle around doing nothing and bringing no food to the house where struggling parents try to make ends meet.
As a society do we have time to think about these young, lost souls who have dropped out of an apathetic, judgmental, cruel and expensive education system? No, we are too busy pursuing our own interests. We are a broken, individualised society. We are no longer a community for there is no bridge between the few rich Khasis and the large number of Khasis living amidst the squalor and poverty that we have learnt to look askance at. This is the reality today and it is on these stark realities that we are heading for yet another election which to me appears another charade since money has played a phenomenal role as always.
Money, after all, can buy temporary happiness and some food for the poorest. Let’s not judge them! If at all we have to judge anyone then it is the politicians that must be held strictly accountable for their acts of commission. Unfortunately, as a society we have decided to let them off the hook. That’s a cardinal sin of our society and one that’s difficult to remedy.